Kudos to the Egyptian security forces for stopping at least one attack against the Copts.
Egyptian security forces killed seven suspected ISIS militants as the extremists met on Monday to plan more attacks on minority Christians, the government has said.
The men were killed in a shootout in the southern province of Assuit. Authorities say the militants were planning to attack a monastery in Durunka, Christians across Assuit and Sohag provinces, and attack police officers, government buildings and a courthouse.
Authorities named three of the men as Hasan Abdel-Al Siddiq, 30, a government employee with the Directorate of Health, Islam Said Abdel Salam Ismail, 21, a law student, and 22-year-old Mustapha al-Sayyed Muhammad Dhahr.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi praised the work of his security forces and accused jihadis of trying to divide Egyptian society by attacking vulnerable minorities.
A statement by Egypt’s Interior Ministry said the shootout started when the jihadis opened fire with heavy weapons as they were approached by members of the security services.
Security forces returned fire, killing the men. Images from the scene show a compound filled with machine guns, AK47s, belts and magazines of ammunition, and a motorbike.
Also contained inside the building were pads filled with notes on the organisation of so-called Islamic State, and details of their attack plans.
The raid came hours after Sisi declared a three-month state of emergency following two ISIS bomb attacks which killed 44 people in Tanta and Alexandria on Palm Sunday.